STOCKBROKERS: A Ringing In His Ears

A Ringing In His Ears

Merrill Lynch was bullish on Alan Schlesinger as a prospective customer, but the company's brokers pushed him a little too far. Five years ago, the suburban Boston lawyer began an epic campaign to stop Merrill Lynch's brokers, as well as numerous rival callers, from peppering him with phone pitches. First he wrote a polite letter asking the company to desist, but still the calls came. Then he wrote a more threatening note, and still the calls came.

Schlesinger then sued the brokerage for invasion of privacy in Massachusetts county court and won the case last June (Merrill Lynch is appealing). The...